Elin Hilderbrand, known for her beachy bestsellers, teams up with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, to bring readers a scandal-filled deep dive into the world of elite boarding schools. The Academy follows the students and faculty of Tiffin Academy as they navigate a year of academic ambition, social intrigue, and digital drama.

When Tiffin unexpectedly skyrockets in the rankings, it sends shockwaves through the campus. But just as students and staff begin to celebrate, an anonymous app called ZipZap starts dropping secrets—exposing everything from influencer Davi Banerjee’s social-climbing schemes to new history teacher Simone Bergeron’s questionable past. As friendships unravel and reputations are put on the line, the truth behind Tiffin’s rise—and its hidden scandals—begins to surface.

With its mix of Gossip Girl drama and Dead Poets Society charm, The Academy is a fast-paced, addictive read that will keep fans of prep school fiction turning the pages.

3.75/5

The Academy is a novel that sucks you in from the start. In line with Hilderbrand's other novels, it opens with lush descriptions of the setting and characters. Even if you have never set foot on the grounds of a private boarding school, you will feel like you a picture every detail.
The story takes you through the academic year at Tiffin Academy in Massachusetts focusing on several students and teachers in particular. While reading, and upon finishing, I felt like there were a few unfinished story lines. However, I was pleased to learn that there is going to be a sequel. The story closed up several story lines nicely but left enough mystery to have me engaged and wanting more.
I enjoyed the characters throughout the story. The ones you were meant to root for were easy to like and the ones who played the role of the villains had you anticipating their downfall.
I thought that the dialogue was authentic to how kids speak which I appreciated - you could certainly see the input that Hilderbrand's daughter infused in the story.
This is an obvious purchase for the library's collection and will fly off the shelf. Pass along to all readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Academy by Elin Hildebrand and Shelby Cunningham follows the lives and gossip of a group of students and teachers at an exclusive boarding school with an anonymous app documenting it all. This is a fun coming-of-age story with lots of twists and turns and glamour. I really enjoyed this story and I honestly hope this becomes a series so I can follow the students and teachers of Tiffin Academy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham is a compelling and heartwarming coming-of-age novel that follows a group of students at an elite boarding school. The authors skillfully blend themes of friendship, ambition, and personal growth, creating a realistic portrayal of the challenges young adults face. While the pacing is steady and the characters are relatable, some readers may find the narrative a bit predictable. Nonetheless, it’s a solid choice for fans of contemporary fiction with emotional depth and real-world struggles.

Elin Hilderbrand does it again, this time with a fresh and juicy take on the elite world of New England boarding schools. The Academy is full of scandal, secrets, and the kind of drama that makes it impossible to stop reading! Her signature storytelling shines through, and with the addition of her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, this novel has a sharp and modern edge. Tiffin Academy is the place to be, until an anonymous app starts exposing everyone’s dirt. From students to staff, no one is safe, and watching the chaos unfold is pure entertainment. The mix of privileged glamour and total disaster is exactly why I love Elin’s books. The characters are messy and the twists are nonstop! If you’ve loved Elin’s books over the years, you’re going to devour this one. It’s fresh and so fun! I’m beyond excited for the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

This pains me because I am an avid Elin Hilderbrand lover! But The Academy fell so flat for me with too many loose ends.

We follow a variety of high school students and their teachers/administrators at a private school as they navigate the school year. The premise is that a website is invented that starts sharing their secrets (gossip girl style) and wreaking havoc.

One of my main issues with the book were there are way too many characters introduced who were not all fully developed. To bring in a student who took her life and give no background or reason for including this subject matter was bizarre to me (and we never get the info on her document she leaves her boyfriend?). To have multiple characters dealing with serious mental health struggles like eating disorders but again, leave those serious topics so unattended to felt very blasé for 2025. I wasn't able to connect with or sympathize for anyone due to the lack of character development which was likely due to the sheer amount of character we are following.

For me this one missed the mark, the first 30% being copious character introductions and no main plot development until hundreds of pages in left me fairly indifferent. The writing style felt hard to follow, and didn't draw me in like usual! There was promise with the setting of back to school with ritzy teenagers, but the execution wasn't there for me personally.

Elin Hilderbrand comes out of "retirement" to write an entertaining novel with her college-age daughter Shelby. The setting is a New England boarding school, similar to the one that Shelby attended before college. I would assume that means the activities and events within the story are realistic and true-to-life. The story is a year in the life of this school and all the people supporting it - students, teachers, administrators, parents, and others. I enjoyed reading about all the experiences and events that happened through the year. Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an ARC.

Love everything by this author. Always suspenseful, fast paced and sorry to fet to the final page. GReat story great intrigue and great entertainment.

This is my favorite Elin Hildebrand book yet! I love the academic setting. The vibes are very gossip girl at a boarding school where everyone has secrets and everyone else wants those secrets while maintaining their own privacy. So good!

Shockingly this was my first hilderbrand! I have heard so much of this author and I was not disappointed in her latest work. I can see why she has such a devoted following. Her combination of humor, intrigue and character building is not one to be missed.

I’ve read every book by Elin Hilderbrand, so it was a real delight to read this novel she wrote in collaboration with her daughter Shelby Cunningham. This novel takes place in the elite prep school Tiffin, and describes the complicated relationships between students, teachers and administrators. I generally dislike novels with lots of characters (this one is way over my limit), but there is a good lens that focuses on a few key characters.

Though the demographic of the main characters is basically high school age, I found enough that was juicy for me. Great idea to stir in the complicated relationships among administrators and outsiders, including parents. Since I teach at the college level, lots to identify with! I started teaching when I was 19 at an all boys vocational high school, so Simone certainly interested me!

Great writing and character development, especially of the key players.

Looking forward to reading your more by these collaborators.

Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to what may become a new series from Hilderbrand and Cunningham.